CHICAGO, March 4, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading online travel company Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE:OWW) has partnered with Tourism Ireland to launch "Orbitz Originals: Northern Ireland," a 15-part online video series that is hosted by award-winning travel expert Richard Bangs and is available for viewing at Orbitz.com/NorthernIreland. This is the second time Orbitz and Tourism Ireland have partnered in such a venture, with a 2012 video series focused on Western Ireland helping drive significant growth in online travel bookings to the country. Supported by hotel discounts of up to 10 percent off and substantial flight and hotel package savings, this eighth installment of the "Orbitz Originals" series once again harnesses the power of online video to inspire travelers and increase bookings to this iconic destination full of rich culture, history and tradition.

The video series showcases many of the truly unique aspects of the Irish experience that are sure to spark the interest of travelers to seeing it all firsthand. Using his trademark wit and perspective, Bangs covers hidden gems and must-see attractions alike, engaging viewers as they journey alongside.

Select highlights from the 15-part series:

"Land of Giants" gives viewers an overview of all that Northern Ireland has to offer, including views of its lush natural beauty, centuries-old castles, unique customs and miles of gorgeous shoreline.

"Titanic Belfast" explores the six-story-high landmark of the same name, the world's largest Titanic visitor attraction. Travelers embark an immersive experience inside the story of the 46,329-ton ship built on location in 1909.

"Murals of Belfast" gives viewers an up-close view of the famous artwork of Belfast, helping tell the story of the religious differences of the past through its huge and colorful murals.

"Tourism Ireland is delighted to partner with Orbitz and Richard Bangs on this 'Orbitz Originals: Northern Ireland' series," said Alison Metcalfe, tourism Ireland executive vice president, United States and Canada. "Northern Ireland is one of Europe's undiscovered gems and is another great reason to make a visit to the island of Ireland. From the historic city of Belfast, to the UNESCO world heritage site at the Giants Causeway and the great medieval walled city of Derry/Londonderry, there truly is something for everyone. Richard's unique style and insight will bring to life the culture and heritage of this special corner of our island and showcase the warmth of the welcome awaiting all who visit."

To date, "Orbitz Originals" videos highlighting Cancun, the Cayman Islands, Qatar, Vermont, Western Ireland, New York and Florida have been viewed over one million times by travelers seeking inspiration for future trips. Bookings to those destinations have experienced double-digit growth over the life of each campaign.

"Our goal for each installment of the 'Orbitz Originals' series is to use creative video to give travelers a real sense of the destination and inspire them to visit," said Josh Winkler, Orbitz Worldwide vice president of partner marketing. "In the case of Northern Ireland, viewers will come away with a powerful connection to this historic location, along with smart recommendations they can take advantage of when booking their getaway."

Orbitz.com is a leading travel website that enables consumers to search for and book a broad range of hotels, flights, car rentals, cruises, vacation packages and destination activities. Since launching in June 2001, Orbitz.com has become one of the world's largest online travel sites. Orbitz.com now offers the groundbreaking Orbitz Rewards loyalty program—the only program where customers can earn rewards immediately on flights, hotels and packages, and redeem instantly on tens of thousands of hotels worldwide. Customers can earn up to 5% towards future hotel stays when booking hotels and 1% towards future hotel stays when booking either standalone flights or eligible vacation packages. Orbitz.com is the #1 way to book travel on mobile devices, be it using our apps (get them at www.orbitz.com/mobile) or our smartphone-optimized website (m.orbitz.com), both of which are tailored for smartphones and tablets. The Orbitz app for iPhone is one of only 48 apps out of nearly 900,000 available apps chosen by Apple to be inducted into its App Store Hall of Fame. Orbitz members get exclusive access to Insider Steals hotel deals, promotions and other saving opportunities. Follow Orbitz on Facebook, Twitter and through the Orbitz Travel Blog. Orbitz.com is operated by Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE:OWW).

About Orbitz Worldwide

Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE:OWW) is a leading global online travel company using technology to transform the way consumers around the world plan and purchase travel. Orbitz Worldwide operates the consumer travel planning sites Orbitz (www.orbitz.com), ebookers (www.ebookers.com), HotelClub (www.hotelclub.com) and CheapTickets (www.cheaptickets.com). Also within the Orbitz Worldwide family, Orbitz Partner Network (www.orbitz.com/OPN) delivers private label travel technology solutions to a broad range of partners including some of the world`s largest airlines and travel agencies, and Orbitz for Business (www.orbitzforbusiness.com) delivers managed travel solutions for companies of all sizes. Orbitz Worldwide makes investor relations information available at investors.orbitz.com.

About Tourism Ireland

Tourism Ireland is the organization responsible for promoting the island of Ireland in the U.S. as a leading vacation destination. Tourism is the island of Ireland's largest indigenous industry, responsible for in excess of 4 percent of GNP in the Republic of Ireland and employing approximately 200,000 people. In 2013, over one million Americans visited Ireland. Tourism Ireland's international website is www.ireland.com. Tourism Ireland has over 2 million Facebook fans worldwide.